Man arrested for Brinks cash theft claimed lottery win

The man who was arrested Wednesday night in the November theft of $41,000 from a Brinks truck told friends and family members that he had won the lottery, according to a search warrant.

BY DARRICK IGNASIAKThe Dispatch

The man who was arrested Wednesday night in the November theft of $41,000 from a Brinks truck told friends and family members that he had won the lottery, according to a search warrant.Thomas Eugene Strange, 37, of 1852 Friedberg Church Road, was arrested at his residence at 9:37 p.m. Earlier in the day, Sheriff David Grice had requested the public's assistance in locating Strange. Grice said Thursday morning that Strange was arrested without incident after deputies received a tip regarding his whereabouts.Deputies allege Strange stole the money after the Brinks truck wrecked on U.S. Highway 52 North near mile marker 95 at 9:26 p.m. Nov. 5, 2012. He has been charged with felony larceny and was placed in the Davidson County Detention Center under a $100,000 secured bond.Strange also was cited for possessing a small amount of marijuana and then was transported to the sheriff's office for processing.The search warrant was executed by Special Agent Earl Sam of the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation.Sam, according to court documents, searched Strange's cell phone record from Nov. 4-13. The search warrant was issued by Superior Court Judge R. Stewart Albright on Dec. 11 and was returned Jan. 2.Sam wrote in the search warrant that because of the collision, bags of money spilled out of the vehicle and onto the roadway. The money was recollected and cleared from the roadway and then later recounted. A representative of Brinks discovered that $41,000 was missing and reported it to the sheriff's office.Sam stated in the search warrant that a lieutenant with the sheriff's office advised him that one of the calls to 911 to report the collision came from Strange's cell phone. An anonymous Crimestoppers tip after the collision indicated Strange had large sums of cash in his vehicle, wrapped in rubber bands, according to the search warrant."Investigation revealed that Strange's telephone number was … the same number that called communications to report the collision," the search warrant read. "This fact goes to offer indication that Strange was at the scene of the collision, providing him opportunity to steal the bag of money. Investigators spoke with numerous associates, friends and family members of Strange. Interviewees advised that, after the date of the collision, they saw Strange with large sums of cash wrapped in rubber bands. They were told by Strange that the money was won with a scratch-off lottery ticket."Sam, the search warrant stated, contacted the security investigations manager for the N.C. Education Lottery, who informed the special agent there were no records indicating Strange had gone to one of the regional lottery offices to claim a prize. The manager also stated any person who wishes to claim a prize of $600 or more must go to one of the regional lottery offices to claim it. The descriptions of the cash that Strange had, wrapped in rubber bands, indicated a sum of cash much greater than $600, Sam wrote in the search warrant.Sam also stated that he learned any payout from a regional lottery office is in the form of a check and not paid in cash.An interview with Strange's family members, according to the search warrant, revealed that he occasionally works for a drywall business, has no permanent address and often sleeps in his vehicle. The family members did not offer any explanation that would reasonably justify why he was carrying large sums of cash, Sam stated.Sam also through his investigation learned Strange had not been employed since the end of March 2012."An interviewee advised she had knowledge that Strange had purchased new items to include a new pair of shoes and a new cell phone," Sam wrote. "Multiple interviewees advised that, within a week after the collision, they had been offered to be taken on a trip, funded by Strange. The trips described by the interviewees were to locations that would likely cost Strange a substantial amount of money to fund. In an interview with Strange, the affiant noticed he was wearing a pair of black tennis shoes that appeared to be new. In that interview, Strange also stated he purchased a new cell phone. These facts go toward verifying the account offered by the interviewee."Thus, it is established that it was unlikely that Strange won a large sum of money from the lottery," Sam continued. "Furthermore, Strange lacks steady employment, and works in a profession that, does not yield a high income. Both of these facts cast doubt that Strange would possess large sums of money by legitimate means."Interviewees, Sam stated, advised that much of their communication with Strange was done through text messaging and telephone calls. Sam, the search warrant stated, witnessed texts between interviewees and Strange, to include a text message that showed him describing events as being either before or after he received money.The sheriff said this week that further investigation was needed to support the issuance of a warrant Tuesday. Grice said the missing money has not been recovered as Strange told authorities he spent it all. The sheriff declined to comment on how the man spent the money.Grice also declined to comment Thursday on other specifics regarding the case, including how Strange arrived on the scene.Darrick Ignasiak can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 217, or at darrick.ignasiak@the-dispatch.com.